Roller-skate.



F. M. DORE.

ROLLER SKATE.

A'PPLlcATloN me June 26. |916.

L21 1,557',l Patented Jan. 9, 19171.

@TATF ROLLER-SKATE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 9, 1917.

Application filed .Tune 26, 1916. Serial No. 106,033.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, FRANK M. Donn, a citizen of the United States,residing at Helena, in the county of Lewis and Clark and State ofMontana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inRoller-Skates, of which the following is a specification, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to roller skates and the general object of myinvention is the provision of'a very Vsimply and cheaply constructedroller skate with three wheels whereby the eectiveness of the skate willbe very much enhanced.

A further object of the invention is the provision of improved meanswhereby the skate may be attached to the foot of the wearer and in thisconnection to provide means whereby the fastening means will engagedifferent sizes of shoes. In other words, whereby the fastening meansmay be adjusted to various clamping positions.

Other `objects. will appear in the course of the .following description.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of my skate; Fig. 2 is asection on the line2-2 of Fig. l; Fig. 3 is an under side plan view, the tubular member l27being in section; Fig. i is a perspective view of the member 15 and Fig.5 is a perspective view .of the member 27; and Fig. 6 is `a view of theyoke or bracket 18.

Referring to these drawings, 10 designates the sole plate or top platewhich is made to conform to the shape of the sole of a shoe and which,at its rear end, is formed with an upwardly projecting heel lug 11.Straps 12 are attached to the sole plate in any suitable manner, whichstraps are adapted to engage over the instep of the wearer by means of abuckle 13.

The skate is provided with two rear wheels 14 which are mounted upon asupporting member 15 which is attached in any suitable manner to theplate 10 beneath the heel thereof. This member 15 extends downward andis provided with the laterally projecting gudgeons or bearings 16 uponwhich the wheels 14 are mounted in any suitable manner so that thewheels are independently rotatable. The forward end of the skate issupported by means of a single wheel 17 which is supported in abifurcated yoke or bracket 18 which, as illustrated in Fig. (S, has thelaterally projecting shoulders 19 and a rearwardly projecting shoulder20 which engages beneath the under face of the plate 10. This yoke 19has a relatively rectangular upwardly projecting lug 21 which fits intothe plate 10 and keeps the wheel from turning sidewise, that is fromrotating in a horizontal plane. The shoulders 19 and 20 prevent thebracket or yoke from pulling out of the plate 10 should any obj ectstrike the bracket or the wheel 17.

For the purpose of attaching the forward end of the skate to the sole ofa shoe, I provide a clamping rod 22 which, as illustrated in Fig. 3, issplit for the greater portion of its length or divided into two arms 28,these arms being somewhat resilient and extending forward and laterallyand then being bent upward as at 24 to form jaws engaging the shoe sole.These jaws bear firmly against the side edges of the forward end ofthe'sole plate. The rear end of the rod 22 passes through a perforation25 formed in the member 15 and this rear end is screwthreaded forengagement by a wing nut 26 which forms a key whereby the clamping jawsmay be drawn together to engage the sole of a shoe or released from suchengagement. As shown in Fig. 3, this clamping nut 26 has wings whichextend out beyond the end of the rod 22 to which the key is screwed soas to prevent anything catching or -striking the rear end of the rod 22.

For the kpurpose of causing the closing of the jaws as the rod 22 isdrawn rearward by xthe key 26, I provide Va hollow member 27 which isdisposed beneath the plate 10 and may be in advance of the bracket 15,this hollow ymember is formed with a bore at its rear end ofapproximately a size slightly larger than the rod 22. At its forward endthe member v27 is laterally widened or ared as illustrated best in Fig.5. The member 27 is fastened by a vertical pin or bolt 28 which extendsdownward from the plate 10 and extends through the member 27. This pinpasses between the arms 23 so as not to interfere with the longitudinalmovement of the rod 22.

The operation of this mechanism is easily understood from the drawing.In practical use, when the skate is applied to the foot, the straps 13are tightened over the instep and the skate is clamped to the toe of theshoe by turning up upon the nut 26, thisY draws the rod 22longitudinally and as the rod 22 is drawn rearward the divergent arms 23are caused to close inward or toward each other by engagement with thehollow member 27, thus securing great lateral pressure upon the holdingmembers or jaws 24. The member 27 permits the prongs or arms 23 of therod 22 to spread or contract as the rod 22 is shifted .rearward orforward and keep the jaws 24: pressed tightly to the soles of the shoe,this being assisted by a spring 29.

It will be seen that this skate is very simply constructed, that it hasonly eight main pieces and that a very tight clamping engagement may behad withi a shoe. It is to be particularly noted that the advantage inhaving wings on the nut 26 extended rearwardly of the rod 22 istwo-fold. First this shape makes it easy to secure a firm and quickgrasp by the fingers in securing or screwing up the key and second,these wings protect the threaded portions of the rod 22 from any jarswhich would otherwise be likely to dull or bend the threads, thus makingit difficult to adjust the rod 22 backward or forward.

The advantages of a three-wheeled skate are many. Having only threewheels the skate is manifestly lighter and cheaper than a four-wheeledskate. By reason of having lonly one wheel at the forward end of theskate it is possible to provide for the attaching members formed by thearms 23 and the rod 22. There being only three wheels, there is lessfriction to overcome and not so much exertion in skating. Furthermore,the three-wheeled skate will guide easier and with less exertion thanwith 'the usual fourwheeled skate. f

Having described my invention, what I claim is: Y

1. In a roller skate, a sole plate, supporting rollers mounted thereon,means for engaging the skate with the shoe sole comprising alongitudinally movable clamping rod split -to provide divergent arms,the extremities of the arms being formed with upwardly extendingclamping jaws, means for drawing said rod rearward, and a tubular memberthrough which the rod passes acting to force the arms toward each otheras the rod is shifted forward, the tubular member being operativelyattached to the sole plate.

2. A roller skate of the character described comprising a sole plate,forward and rear rollers mounted thereon, means for engaging the forwardend of the sole plate with a shoe comprising a longitudinally movablerod operatively supported'beneath the sole plate and split to providedivergent resilient arms, said arms at their forward ends extendingupward and terminating in clamping jaws, the rear end of said rod beingscrew-threaded, a member through which the rear end of the rod passes, anut engaging the screw-threads and bearing against said member, and atubular member mounted upon the sole plate and through which said rodpasses, said tubular member being laterally iared at its forward end.

3. A roller skate comprising a sole plate, a bracket member attached tothe sole plate adjacent its rear end and extending downward therefromand formed with laterally projecting gudgeons, and a medially disposedaperture, rear wheels mounted upon said gudgeons, a front rolleroperatively supported upon the forward end of the sole plate, a clampingrod screw-threaded at its rear end and passing through the aperture ofsaid member, said rod being split to provide divergent resilient armsextending forward and at their forward ends being bent upward to formsole clamping jaws, a nut forming a key engaging the screw-threads ofthe rod and bearing against said apertured member, and a tubular memberoperatively supported upon the sole plate in advance of the aperturedmember and through which said rod passes, the interior of said tubularmember being laterally flared at its forward end to cause thecontraction of said arms of the clamping rod when the clamping rod ismoved rearward.

ln testimony whereof I hereunto aiiix my signature in Vthe presence oftwo witnesses.

FRANK M. DORE.

Witnesses:

EDGAR M. HALL, CARL RAsoH.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, VWashington, D. C.

